1
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
he declined the invitation to the party she declined to participate in the soccer game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deny
to be unwilling to grant
declined our request to hold a party
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3
as in to fall
to go to a lower level especially abruptly
new-car sales declined to their lowest level in years
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4
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
his reputation as a writer began to decline not long after his death
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5
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the winds should decline as soon as the cold front passes
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6
as in to plunge
to lead or extend downward
the bike path declines toward the riverbank and then follows the river for several miles
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1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
her sad decline from a robust athlete to an old woman with arthritis
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2
as in declination
a change to a lower state or level
the decline of the Roman Empire
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3
as in downhill
a downward slope
the bicyclist lost control on the unexpectedly steep decline
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4
as in demise
a loss of status
the engagement at the small club was an unmistakable sign of the rock band's decline
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5
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
a huge decline in the value of the artwork after its authenticity was questioned
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of decline
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
The White House declined to issue a statement or answer questions regarding the portrait, instead pointing back to Trump's social media post.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s below the 51-year average of 98 and marks the sharpest monthly decline since June 2022.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Verb
A number of people there have already been impacted or fear what might happen, including a teacher whose students will have fewer opportunities, a business owner who is uncertain how to plan and several senior citizens worried about declining income in their retirement.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
The White House declined to issue a statement or answer questions regarding the portrait, instead pointing back to Trump's social media post.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
Bally’s Chicago ranked sixth in revenue among the state’s casinos with $29 million during the first quarter, a 4% year-over-year decline.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s below the 51-year average of 98 and marks the sharpest monthly decline since June 2022.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decline
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decline
Verb
-
Kylie said Jason refused to let the name just be Finn and insisted on Finnley.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Read Next National Company refused to hire women as AL security officers, feds say.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The government of Isla Mujeres also denied that the event was taking place there.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
At her appearance, the Court denied the state’s motion to detain Formella pre-trial and released her with conditions including no entry into Downers Grove South High School and no contact with anyone under the age of eighteen.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
However, that fight fell apart in early March, when a hand injury forced Whyte from the card.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell as low as 4% as investors turned to bonds in their search for safety.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And regardless of today’s numbers, the labor market could deteriorate very quickly amid Trump’s new tariffs, according to Yardeni Research.—
Josh Fellman,
Quartz,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Based on the aforementioned trends, employment outcomes haven’t gotten better over the past decade and are likely to deteriorate further.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In terms of a mechanism, the rejection seems to decrease levels of a neuropeptide in the brain, which increases after mating, leading Heberlein et al.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Keeping those cuts on the books would decrease revenue by $4.5 trillion from 2025 through 2034, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Her investigation plunges her into the heart of a life-changing event, providing her with a front-row seat to the chaos and intrigue of a bloody political firestorm.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Global stock markets plunged the day after the announcement, with major indexes across Europe, Asia, and the United States seeing steep declines.—
Sergei Klebnikov,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
As leaders in the industry who have spent countless hours underground repairing failing gas lines, our licensed gas contractors have witnessed firsthand the deterioration of our state’s natural gas infrastructure.—
Harley Flack,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2025
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Not spending enough time in the two deep stages of slumber might speed up the deterioration of parts of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In contrast, during 2016-16 the lunar declination varied from only 18.5 degrees north to 18.5 degrees south.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.—
WWD,
WWD,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decline. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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